"One crossed wire, one wayward pinch of potassium chlorate, one errant twitch . . . and KABLOOIE!"
Finally! My first Fallout build! I admit it took me a long time to think about the details of this after signing on, but it was worth it. This build is based on the Demoman class from Team Fortress 2. I was originally going to make it a Fallout 4, but after reviewing and comparing the weapons, the sad fact is there are more explosives in New Vegas than 4 (not including the missile launcher). Though the Broadsider is the Fallout version of the Loose Cannon. Maybe I could make a 4 version . . . if there's enough friendly peer pressure to get me to do it. The only thing that can make this build exactly like its TF2 counterpart would be having an eye-patch. If you find a mod for that, then the gaming gods favor you. I only have the game for the XBOX 360. Looks asides, the Demo only needs three things to survive the Mojave; a weapon that goes 'BOOM', a melee weapon when you go Demoknight, and most importantly plenty of beer. The DLC this build best benefits from is the Gun Runner's Arsenal.
Story: You are the Demoman. You were born of a clan descended from Scottish immigrants who came to the states before the bombs fell. As a child, you would play knights with other children and makeshift toy swords. When you became an adult, you left for the west to find fortune and adventure.
You found work at a small weapons store, crafting explosives like grenades and dynamite, drinking a little when your boss wasn't looking. One day, your boss left on a business trip to make a deal with the Gun Runners, leaving you in charge. Excited, you closed shop early and spent every cap you earned buying every drink at the bar. After the bar closed, you stumbled back to the store in an intoxicated state. The last thing you remember before blacking out is trying to craft some explosives for tomorrow's sale. When you woke up, your worst hangover was the least of your problems. You saw the weapons store burning as the townsfolk rushed back-and-forth bringing water to put out the fire. Not wanting to wait for your boss to return so he can fire you - figuratively and literally - you quickly packed your belongings and went further west. You found work as a courier of the Mojave Express, thinking this job would be safer regardless if you're drunk. You were wrong.
You wake up in a small town called Goodsprings. The last thing you remember is a pair of Khans and a man in a checkered shirt who shoots you. (This next sentence is if you have a mod that gives the option to have a missing or damaged eye) You feel your head a little and find a great horror; the checkered man didn't just shoot in the head, he shot you in the eye!
After regaining the ability to walk and getting a weapon or two, you set out to find a certain head-shooting coward.
SPECIAL: Strength 9, Perception 7, Endurance 9, Charisma 1, Intelligence 3, Agility 7, Luck 4
Traits: Heavy Handed, Hoarder, Hot Blooded, and/or Loose Cannon. If you also want to roleplay that you're drunk as a fish born in a brewery, take the Wild Wasteland
Tag Skills: Explosives, Melee Weapons, and Repair
Major Skills: Explosives, Melee Weapons, and Unarmed: While you won't be using any Unarmed weapons, you'll need the skill the unlock perks that will boost your melee like Slayer and Piercing Strike
Minor Skills:
Barter: I know it'll be low due to your Charisma, but you're going to need it to get good weapons, ammo, and booze
Survival (only get it to 75 so you can craft moonshine)
Repair
Perks: Heave Ho! (helps counter the Loose Cannon's con), all three ranks Demolition Expert, Bloody Mess, Cowboy for more boom for your dynamite, Commando (believe it or not, the grenade rifle benefits from this perk), Stonewall, Hit the Deck, Splash Damage, Unstoppable Force, Purifier, Slayer
DLC and Extra Perks: Old World Gourmet, Toughness rank 1 and 2, Super Slam, Piercing Strike, Mad Bomber, Heavyweight, Grunt for more boom for your grenade launchers and rifles.
Equipment:
If you have the Mercenary Pack DLC, you will have a good start with the Mercenary's grenade rifle.
Grenade launchers or rifles like Thump-thump, Fat Man, and grenade machineguns. I wouldn't bother with either rifle from launching the nukes in Lonesome Road. And NO MISSILE LAUNCHERS. Those are for Soldiers.
Alcoholic drinks. It wouldn't hurt to have some fixers in case of addiction. Also, NO Nukacola and Sunset Sarsaparilla! That piss is for pansies!
Combat armor is an all-around good set. The Powder Gang guard armor would be a good starting armor since it almost resembles the Demoman's default gear. Remember not to wear it around any NCR you're doing work for. So does the Vault 34 security armor which is a cheaper and lighter alternative to the combat armor, if you have plenty of radaway get rid of.
Thrown and placed explosives like mines and dynamite. There are early trailers of the Demo using dynamites as a weapon, so it makes sense. No grenades, unless you want to use the Mad Bomber's tin variants.
Bladed melee weapons like the katana, bumper swords, and axes. 9 irons are okay for blunts, especially Nephi's.
Implants: Sub-Dermal Armor, Strength, Endurance, Agility, Monocyte Breeder, Luck, and Intelligence.
Companion: I highly recommend Rose of Sharon Cassidy. She's a fellow drinker like the Demoman, so you will benefit from the Whiskey Rose perk and she can teach you how to make moonshine. If you do Dead Money, Dean can teach you how to make Sierra Madre martinis.
Factions: Don't join the Legion! I doubt they allow excessive drinking. Besides that, whichever fate of New Vegas is up to you. But you should join smaller factions like the Boomers and the Powder Gangers because of their encouraged use of explosives.
You can join the PGs AFTER saving Goodsprings since Trudy sells booze, can buy and sell items at their exact values regardless of your Barter skill, and can buy stolen items if you're Goodsprings fame is Accepted. You can make it up to the PGs by freeing the PG prisoners in 'Booted', then do some work for Eddie at the NCR Correctional Facility. However, there's a Nexus mod called 'Lively Joe and Friends' that makes the PGs settle into Goodsprings after 'Run Goodsprings Run.' I haven't heard if they're still selling booze at the saloon. If at least 'Liked' by the PGs, Eddie will give you dynamite, pistol and rifle powder every 24 hours.
It's a good idea to get a good Reputation with the Great Khans since their armorer sells ammo for your grenade launchers and rifles.
Recommended quests: Any quest related to the Gangers and Boomers, Ant Misbehavin' (it's the only way to get Thump-Thump), Heartache by the Number for Cassidy, and Long-Term Care (help the Garrets make an alcohol deal with the Followers of the Apocalypse).
Gameplay: Alcohol is important for this build. They work almost like drugs, giving bonuses to your Strength, Damage Threshold, Charisma and more; Large wasteland tequila (+3 Strength, +10 poison resistance), Sierre Madre martini (+75 max health, +4 Endurance, +2 Strength), moonshine (+2 Charisma, +2 Strength), and the like. These are mostly useful during melee fights.
In combat, the Demoman uses raw damage from the explosives and melee, instead of relying on criticals.
Replies
I certainly hope to see more written on this. I can tell already a build based on Demoman ought to be a lot of fun./
This build is ready for posting!
Or do I have to copy and paste it?
I should be able to move it.
Thanks!